Middle school language question

[Anonymous]

If my 6th grader has been assigned Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B, is this the full year of Spanish? Or 2 parts of one semester of Spanish? (Which is what I was expecting)

[Anonymous]

It's the full year of Spanish 1. A is first semester, B is second semester.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. Next question- school website says they offer Spanish 1 and 2. What do kids do in 8th if they take Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th?

[Anonymous]

High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

When did this change and where is the link to this? My rising 8th grader has taken Spanish 1 and 2 and ParentVue clearly says that he has near his graduation requirement for foreign language.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, typo. He has MET his graduation requirement by taking two years in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Next question- school website says they offer Spanish 1 and 2. What do kids do in 8th if they take Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th?

Full year, they take spanish 3 in 8th. You need to talk to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

This is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, typo. He has MET his graduation requirement by taking two years in middle school.

That is correct. Even though the classes were taken in middle school, they count as high school credit for graduation requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

[Anonymous]

Its better to do Spanish 1a as a full year course in 6th then 1B in 7th and Spanish 2 in 8th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

I want to second this. Middle school languages count for graduation requirements but many college want four years of HS foreign language. If your kids is interested in competitive college and doesn’t love foreign language it is in their best interest to do all of their foreign language study in HS.

You’re not seconding it as it’s wrong. You are offering your opinion. However to be clear students need their graduation requirements in middle school and are not required to continue in high school if they don’t want to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher and mom. Just a heads up. Students now need to take two years of the same foreign language IN HIGH SCHOOL, so it is a disadvantage for may students to start a foreign language so early. Many kids who don't love foreign language arrive as 9th graders already having taken 2-3 years of a language and only have the choice of continuing the same language at a pretty high level OR take an entirely different language for two years. For a person who doesn't love world languages, neither is a great option. My oldest child took three years of Spanish in middle school (hated it) and was then faced with the choice I am speaking of. It was not a pleasant experience. If I had it to do over again, I would have had him put off foreign language entirely in middle school. He could've still reached level four of a language if he loved it in high school. Instead, I would've had him take the high school technology credit in 8th grade (needed for graduation) to check off that box before high school.

I am not putting down foreign language or denying its benefits. Some kids love it and really excel at it. But for kids who don't, this can be a real hardship.

a) You are wrong. Taking 2 years in MA fulfills the requirement.

b) You are also giving bad advice. Learning languages as early as possible makes it easier to learn languages. And kids who start in HS have no chance of taking AP if they really enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Colleges prefer they take FL in high school, but it does fulfill the requirement if they take it in MS. One of my twins did his 2 years in MS and will not touch it ever again. I’m also not worried about him getting into college because he is AuDHD.

[Anonymous]

You are only required to take two full years of the same world language to meet the high school graduation requirement. You can choose whether to have your middle school world language classes appear on your high school transcript. If you count them for high school credit, you’ve met don’t HAVE to take more world language courses to graduate, but every high school counselor is going to tell you that colleges with competitive admissions are looking for at least two years of the same world language taken IN HIGH SCHOOL, regardless of what you took in middle school. That’s what pp mom and teacher is referring to.

One of my kids attended our local middle school and took a full year of Spanish 1A in 6th grade (would be one semester if taken in high school) and a full year of Spanish 1B in 7th grade (would also only be one semester if taken in high school). This was during Covid distance learning and she really struggled with virtual classes. I had her retake Spanish 1B as an 8th grader because I knew she really had no foundation to move on to Spanish 2. She still struggled to get a C. We ended up not counting any of her middle school world language classes on her high school transcript. She took Spanish 1A and 1B her freshman year and Spanish 2A and 2B her sophomore year and did much better. She met the graduation requirement, and her transcript shows two years of world language in high school. That was what was best for her.

My other child attended the Humanities magnet at MLK MS, which happens to be a Junior IB school. Junior IB schools require kids to take a full year of world language every year, so my child who went to MLK took Spanish 1A and 1B in 6th grade, 2A and 2B in 7th grade, and 3A and 3B in 8th grade. That dc then attended Poolesville HS, where the only options available were to switch to a different world language or take Spanish 4A and 4B as a freshman and then AP Spanish as a sophomore or just not take two years of Spanish in high school. My kid really didn’t want to take AP Spanish or switch to a new world language, so they only went through Spanish 4 as a freshman and then stopped taking a world language. This is against the advice from counselors on how to be competitive in college admissions (two years of same world language taken IN HIGH SCHOOL). This is what mom/teacher pp was talking about.